The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-13
It's, says I, 'Ef I was you, I'd hev some Of the
rlen-foks bring in the wood. Rhody don't look

fairly scared me- Our men folks says she, IS
| tired enough when they come in, 'thout havin
womens work to do. Eff they was shifess as
some knows. that's all they'd be fit fur
Il tell you, that sort O rled me-. went on the
gentle voice. ''but Rhody came in with big
| armful OF wood, so didn't say anything
s'As if you would have said anything, you
| good soul,H said Mrs. johnson.
| You don't know me, said Aunt Nancy. Jon
| athan says l am right smart when get riled-
! scares him. and mellow laugh rippled over her
thin lips, which sounded so sweet that more than
one passenge turned to see the Laughter. mrs
| Johnson joined in the merrment and l smiled.
| too-the idea of that voice scolding was so alb
surd. And now it went on again.
Il thought I'd say something to Jim ABOUT
Rhody, for felt Uneasy about her. an so when
| he was helpin' me on my horse in the evenin'
| (Rhody couldn't come to the fence cause Mis-
| Curtis called her back when she started says
| to him, Jim says !. Rhody looks mighty bad;
I'm feered shes dom too much this hot weather.
You see it was September, an you know what
| trim weather we sometimes have in September.
"'Oh, she's ali right says Jim.
No. she amt, says l.
"Jlm laughed and his face Redeemed up, and
"'You better take good care of her. Jim; she's
not a strong woman like your mother she can't
stand everything an no more she couldn't, poor
| little thing
"Well, the very mex Sunday. here came Jim
and Rhody to us. An I tell you the ole man
an me me was that glad he would have Rhody
sing for US, an she sang some of the songs he
liked, but not many; she said she hadn't sung any
| fur SO long it tired her.
"'Why don't you sing. Rhodyf says the ole
man; you used to sing like bird
81 guess I'm not like bird any more, Uncle
Jonathan, she says. An then she sighed, but
catchin' Jim lookin' at her. she lightened up and
| says, L am an old married woman now
After while Jim an the ole man they went
out to the stable, and then the pore little darin
| "'Oh, Aunt Nancy. I'd be the happiess woman
| in the world if Jim and me was Twin by our
| selves! Mother Curtis is good woman, but
! somehow can't please her, an try so hard.
Sometimes I'm tired can't sleep, eat, an
she thinks I'm putin on airs, she calls it. an
she's al:us saying she pities man with do
nothin', whiny wife
"Its shame! says 1; why don't you tell
Jim, and coax him to get another placer
40 Aunt Nancy she says, wiDin' her purity
eyes, 4 can't bear to make trouble and what
| would Pap Curtis do2 He's awful good to us.
he brings me candy, and sometimes oranges,
| from town. and gives EN- to me when she don't
| see him, and he often helps me, too-gets wood
and water and milks the cows-but there's Jim
] with the buggy and off she went
81 made up my mind to have another talk
with Jim Curtis, but laws! we never tell.
The ole man he took the bed with rheumatiks in
October. and never seen anybody much fur
| three months, and then our Sarahs baby
worriments drove other peoples clean ont of my
| head, till one day long the last Of February
Jonathan came in thed ben to town for some
| thin or other) an says:
Nancy. Rhody's got boyP
Claws! I was jst as s'prised eff I'd never
thought Of SIGH thing. an says |, Who tole
youa
"'Ole man Curtis says he AN he's that sot
/ up he wants you to come right over
can so will,' says ]. The blessed darlin;
an it's boy. an our Saran's is boy, too. Well,
that beats me- An low twas odd, Mis- john
! son,"-and Mrs. johnson lowed it was, too.
| and the story went on:
"In a day or two managed to go over to the
| Curtis place. an though Mary Ann Curtis didn't
seem over pleased to me, I'll say that for
| her, she treated me well enough. and asked me
| right up stairs to see Rhody and the baby. My!
| but my girl was glad to see me! Aunt Nancy.
| she says is Sarah's baby biggern miner An she
| turned down the kiver and showed me the lit
TEST mite Of q boy, with such wrinkied old
| face! / wonder what does make pore, weakly
| baby look so much like old folks, anyhow. Did
| you notice it, Mis- Johnson
| "Oh, yes, often" said Mrs. johnson. There
+! was my Silas looked just like his grandfather
johnson when he was born. But was her baby
| weaklyr
II saw it was in minute" said Aunt Nancy.
'sbut never let on. looked at the baby an
praised it all l could, said it wasn't as big as
Sarys, but size was nothin.
mis- Curtis, she shifted sort o. scornful, an
says she, The child might have been bigger eff
its mother'd knowed how to take keer of herself,
an then she says, well, amt no time to be a.
foolin'. must go to work.
"I suppose you've got girl says l.
"'No. amt says she; an what's more ]
don't want one never seen one yet that they
didn't eat an waste more than their work came
to. let alone their wages, an off sine went down
stairs
.Rhody said nothin' for minute, an I didn'i
either. We just looked at the baby, an 1t begun
to pucker its face an cry little, bout as loud
a young kitten thought Of Sarys squaller OF
boy, bus / didn't say anything, an when it was
quiet Rhody SAYS:
".Aunt Nancy, is my baby like Sary's baby7
and she looked SO pitlful felt as if could cry
We'll says. 'Sary's is bigger. Why do you
; ask thatf
} ''Her lips quivered. an she says:
Everybody at sees it says, "What an old
fashioned baby! Poor little thing Rely it's 81
. odd blocking" Is it odd, Aunt Nancy? An i.
there fashions in babies2 Thought babies were
all alike an she tried to smile while tears rolled
: down her white face.
ST tried to cheer her up. She was baby her
!. self: only little over eighteen, you know; an
went down and made her some toast and tea ant
then fed tho baby and got it to sleep. an left he
! feelin pretty cheerful.
s.After that went over as often as ever
could, and sometimes carried a little somethin'
. cooked to Rbody, but I saw Mis- Curtis didn'
r thank me. Once she's good as said so-said he
I victuals was good 'nough for anybody. Says
7 sick folks like strange cookin sometimes, Mis-
' Curtis. an Rhody allus liked my ways Which
was an unfortunate thing for me to say, fu
t Mis- Curtis she flew all to pieces and said pu
/. mischief in Rhody's head.
! Here she says, lis her baby three weeks oil
= an her barely settin' up. Your Sary was a
g work afore her baby was that old, an know il
q an If Mis- Rhody can't wait on herself now, sh
can go 'thout waitn on for all of me. she saws
. ".Mis' Curtis says I, my Sary's differen
8 woman from Rhody.'
r "T guess she Isl says Mis- Curtis, mad fire
s "'An'.' saya /. Jim ought to get somebody t
e help wait on Rhody and take care of the baby
4 says I, or else it's my pinon ne won't hav
n 'em long, fur says I, 'Rhody's gettin' weake
$ instead of stronger, and she amt got milk flu
that pore baby
"Then Mis- Curtis che jes' let loose, an
q ketched i'll She said it all my doiu's ths
d Jim married that pore nolcount, stuck-u
Ia | school. mistresa an BROUGHT Ter there to /